MOSES LAKE – Boasting a perfect record in meets this season and a district championship crown, the Moses Lake girls swim and dive team was rewarded with seven swimmers qualifying for state competition in Federal Way in 12 events.

“It took everybody on our team to win districts,” Moses Lake swim and dive head coach Jason Hart said. “Every single person, because Eastmont is also very good. We beat them every single time we went up against them, but it took every single person on our team. If we’re missing one or two people – we aren’t district champions.”

At the district meet, the Mavericks scored 529 points, finishing 26.5 points above second-place Eastmont (502.5). Districts began with Moses Lake setting a new school record in the 200-yard medley relay, which senior captain Makhaela Parrish said set the tone for the remainder of the meet.

“Just the entire meet we were jumping up and down, running back and forth and screaming our heads off,” she said. “It made us, really, very happy.”

Sophomore Kathryn DuVall, who is on the state-qualifying 200-yard medley relay team with sophomore Julia Heaps, senior Aniston Dana and senior Lydia Jensen, also touched on the performance.

“It was pretty amazing because we didn’t realize that we were going to break that record,” DuVall said. “It was pretty cool to break that record with two of our seniors.”

Above Moses Lake’s pool sits a board noting school records in each event. Four scores are missing from the girls’ side of the board, due to the breaking of school records this year. Joining the 200-yard medley relay team are new records in the 50, 100 and 200-yard freestyle swims this season, set by junior Issabelle Parrish.

“It’s kind of a (big year) since a lot of college recruiting is what I’m focusing on,” Issabelle Parrish said. “My main goal this year was to break the records because they’ve been up since the 1990s. I really wanted to get those broken.”

Issabelle Parrish said she receives a significant amount of support from her sister Makhaela Parrish.

“She’s just my biggest supporter,” Issabelle Parrish said. “She’s always there for me and I’m always there for her. It’s a really great experience.”

Even with competition heating up for the team, moments during practice can still be found to have fun and keep up morale. Dana said the team recently had a practice where they played sharks and minnows.

“It definitely reminds us that we’re still kids,” Dana said. “We’re still kids. We’re still in high school. Not everything has to be so serious. I feel like some of us forget sometimes that, even though we put our all into this sport, we still have to blend in some fun sometimes.”

Dana qualified for state in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard butterfly. She is also on the 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard freestyle relay teams.

“I’m hoping to break the 100-fly record – I’m only a second off,” Dana said.

Even though swim is an individual sport, the Mavs’ support for one another during races has helped propel each athlete into higher finishes, Hart said.

“How they feed off each other,” Hart said. “When you coach an individual sport, one of the goals is to try and turn it into a team, and they really do feed off each other, become better by working hard. They are the hardest-working team I’ve ever coached as far as high school.”

Hart is in his first year coaching the Mavericks and commutes to Moses Lake daily from the Tri-Cities to lead practices.

“He definitely loves to come be with us,” Dana said. “He reminds us every day that he loves to see our faces. He’s definitely committed to both us and his family – both of his families, he likes to remind us that we are part of his family.”

In celebrating the first-place finish at districts, members of the team have spent time keeping their eyes on the prize even when not at the pool.

“One of them has actually taken (the trophy) home every night and (is) sleeping with the trophy, and they bring it back and put it on a chair so they can look at it so they’re motivated to go get it, go get a trophy at state,” Hart said.

The 4A state meet is hosted at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way from Nov. 10-12. Hart said that even though seven Moses Lake swimmers have qualified for state through times and finishing top-two in the district, more can qualify through wild cards which are determined after each district finishes competitions, which will be by Sunday.

“It’s truly been fun to hang out with each other and work really hard together,” DuVall said.

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.

State-bound swimmers

See below for a full list of Moses Lake swimmers headed to state as well as their events. District champion swimmers and teams are also noted.

200-yard Medley Relay

Julia Heaps

Kathryn DuVall

Aniston Dana

Lydia Jensen

200-yard Freestyle

Makhaela Parrish

(District Champion)

200-yard Individual Medley

Aniston Dana

50-yard Freestyle

Issabelle Parrish

(District Champion)

100-yard butterfly

Aniston Dana

100-yard Freestyle

Issabelle Parrish

(District Champion)

Kathryn DuVall

500-yard Freestyle

Makhaela Parrish

(District Champion)

Bria Bodenman

200-yard Freestyle Relay

(District Champions)

Makhaela Parrish

Kathryn DuVall

Julia Heaps

Issabelle Parrish

100-yard Backstroke

Julia Heaps

100-yard Breaststroke

Kathryn DuVall

(District Champion)

400-yard Freestyle Relay

(District Champions)

Bria Bodenman

Makhaela Parrish

Aniston Dana

Issabelle Parrish